05:21 JST – Shinjuku Ward, Nishi Shinjuku Residential Block.
3 days after the Nishiyama Building Incident
The rain hadn't started yet, but the clouds had gathered over the city, like they remember what happened three days ago. Sekhmet's apartment was small, a studio tucked on the third floor above an old stationery shop. It had a great view of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office.
She stood barefoot on the polished wood floor, brushing her long curls into something resembling order. She hummed as she continued brushing her hair. The room caught the tune gently and kept it in, a perk she had been looking for weeks. Her singing or humming isn't destructive, but is very distracting since it stops people from what they are doing just to listen to her.
As she finished fixing her hair, her green eyes glanced toward a desk in the room. A Crucible acceptance letter lay on it. A couple months ago, she thought she wasn't going to be able to enroll in the Crucible this semester because she didn't come from a prestigious school, or a name anyone recognized.
Before she moved, a letter with the Crucible insignia was in her letter box. She'd rushed back inside, already bracing to see the rejection letter. Only to be surprised that she was accepted and she is going to the Shibuya Branch.
"Today's the day," she whispered, voice airy but sure. "Let's try not to scare anyone." She pulled on a dark red halter top, a green, oversized sweater hanging just off her shoulders, jeans, and her sneakers. Gold rings clicked gently against her tea cup and face as she drank. "Acht-" she almost spilt her drink. "I should've put some oat milk in it. It's still too hot."
She set her tea cup down on the counter, then grabbed the Crucible badge next to it. As she pinned the badge on her bag, her eyes caught the framed photo on the wall. A group of unfamiliar faces in formal wear. She turned away from it.
Outside, a tram rolled by, its lights stuttering in the pre-dawn murk. Sekhmet slipped in her earpieces to play her favorite song, "Stand by You" by OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM. She smiled, "this is the best way to start my morning." She locked the door behind her and stepped into the streets of Shibuya.
07:11 JST - Shibuya District
The city was already alive. Shibuya's streets shimmered under the waning haze of last night's rain, puddles catching the first reflections of the neon signs being re-lit for the morning rush.
Steam rolled up from subway grates. The scent of grilled onigiri and fresh bread lingered in the air, mixing with the smell of traffic. Sekhmet stood at the edge of the curb, waiting for the signal. A child tugged on her mother's coat beside her.
"Mama… her hair's like a painting."
"Hush. Don't stare."
The mother pulled her daughter gently behind her, but Sekhmet smiled anyway. "Good morning ma'am," she said gently as she curtly bowed. Her daughter popped out from behind her and waved. "Good morning, pretty lady!" Sekhmet knelt down, "I hope you have a great day at school today little one," she beamed.
"Kaede, what do we say?" her mother prompted. Kaede hesitated, her little mind pondering what she had to say.
The walk light turned green.
Sekhmet stood up and stepped forward, not before waving back at the two. "You two have a great day!" She called out. Kaede waved back to her, "Thank you miss! I hope you have a great day at the Crucible!" She exclaimed. Sekhmet noticed Kaede's mother flinching slightly at the word.
As Sekhmet walked, people noticed her. They always did, not because she made a scene, but because she looked different from them. Brown skin, Green eyes. Some glanced, then looked away quickly. Some whispered behind her back, "A beauty, a shame that she's a foreigner." An elderly man bumped into her shoulder deliberately. He said nothing and kept walking. "Okay… nice to be reminded that natives don't like how I look," she observed while adjusting her scarf.
As she continued walking, she spotted a delivery bike riding too fast and not paying attention. A kid was walking right into their pathway. Sekhmet reached out instinctively and stopped the kid from stepping off the sidewalk. His mother bowed low. "Sumimasen! Hontō ni, arigatō gozaimasu!" Sekhmet returned the bow. "Daijōbu desu. He's safe." Her Japanese was fluent, but had a soft, unmistakable western accent.
She resumed her walk, weaving through the morning crowd. Greeting the store owners as they open up shop. Up ahead, a group of teens hovered around a vending machine, harassing the people passing by.
One of them stared too long at Sekhmet walking past them. "What is she, a foreigner that loves to cosplay that cat lady from Blanche?" The leader pointed out. His friends laughed. "Blanche? She doesn't look anything close-" one of his cronies stopped short when she passed by. "She smells like… I dunno. Something sweet, like flowers…" he whispered, infatuated with her scent.
"You mean the Higanbana flower? Something you've been constantly talking about?" The cronie with glasses asked. The others laughed harder, "Look! Shinra is at a loss for words. He's doing his devilish smile again!" The leader of the group yelled before the cronie with glasses elbowed him. He fell to the ground, the wind was knocked out of him. "Why'd you do that idiot?" He coughed out. The one with glasses pointed out the badge on her bag, "Kenta, she's wearing a Crucible badge you dumbass."
The leader finally caught his breath before looking at Sekhmet again. "Shit, seriously?" The laughter died. Their eyes flicked to her again… spotting the obsidian badge with a silver phoenix in it. Sekhmet didn't react. She adjusted the strap of her bag before turning around, "Hey, thanks for the compliment, kiiro kami otōto. The rest of you, you never know who can understand what you're saying." She smiled before turning back around. The leader and the boys were left dumbfounded.
She wasn't in a hurry.
This is my day.
My beginning.
She passed a bookstore with its shutters half-rolled. The owner, a thin man with a hunched back and a tired smile, stopped sweeping the entrance when he noticed her. "Ah, Sekhment-chan," he greeted, eyes flicking to the Crucible insignia on her bag.
"Off to school?" He asked. Sekhmet nodded and gave a small bow, "Yes, Kobayashi-san. It's the first day of the semester." He smiled as he started back sweeping the storefront, "Not often you see a youngster this awake. Most mornings are just tired faces and hunched shoulders. I see your Japanese has gotten better. Have you been practicing?"
Sekhmet smiled, "I have been practicing. It's nice to have someone open this early to help me study, Kobayashi-san." Kobayashi laughed. As he walked into his store, he invited her in. "Books don't sell themselves young lady," the man chuckled, tapping the broom on the counter. "Can you read Japanese better?"
"I'm still learning," she replied sheepishly, hands behind her back. "But I'm better at music than kanji." As if on cue, a street artist just down the road strummed the first few chords of a nostalgic city pop tune. Without meaning to, Sekhmet found herself humming along. Her voice was low, steady, sweet. The bookstore owner blinked at her, then smiled wider. "You sing well."
She laughed lightly. She'd never thought much of her voice, but people always seemed to pause when they heard it. "It's easier than remembering what's said where." The bookstore owner chuckled before giving her a small notebook. "Go on, then. Make the Crucible a little more human, will you?"
She nodded. "I'll try." As she walked out of the store, a stray cat emerged from an alleyway, brushing against her leg. She crouched and scratched behind its ear gently. "You're out early, huh Mika."
08:12 JST — Yamanote Line, Counter Clockwise to Shibuya
The Crucible
Located at Shibuya's northern border, the rumors made it seem like it was a military installation or a fortress. As Sekhmet was on the train, it passed by the Crucible. Giving her a perfect view of the campus, "So much for the 'military fortress' rumor," she muttered to herself, eyes fixed on the sprawling campus skyline. The train was full of accepted students, better known as cadets in Crucible standards. It was loud and rowdy, everyone was excited to be going to the school.
"I'm calling it now, we're in the top dorm." one cadet said, adjusting the strap of his bag. "No way House Kestel gets the royalty dorms again."
"Please." A taller girl scoffed beside him. "They recycle their spellwork every semester. House Thorne's gonna crush 'em."
"Did you hear about last year's trial?" someone cut in. "Kid from Myrrin almost bled out in the glade."
"Yeah, well, he attempted to cast a spell without an incantation," someone muttered. "Idiot deserved it." Sekhmet winced. She hadn't realized how brutal Crucible accidents could be. 'Did I… choose the wrong Anti-Spiral College?' She thought. As she pondered, a cadet tapped her shoulder. "Whoa, I've never seen anyone like you before." She grinned confidently, bleach-blonde hair in curled twin drills, nails sparkling with tiny charms. "Shirogane, Yu-Yevon! What's your name?" She stuck her hand out, awaiting a response.
Sekhmet snapped out of her world and looked up to see a Gyaru sticking her hand out to her. She could only assume she greeted her and said her name. Sekhmet took her earphones out and shook her hand, "I'm Sekhmet Isshin-Namikaze. Sorry—I didn't catch your name." Shirogane beamed with joy as she shook Sekhmet's hand. "No worries! The names Shirogane, Yu-Yevon. Is it okay if I call you Sin?"
Sin?
Sekhmet blinked. No one had ever shortened her name before. "Sure… I guess that works with me." She replied quietly. Shirogane squealed as she sat next to her, "Okay bestie! I need to know the hair routine, how the hell do you manage all that?" She asked excitedly as she waved her hands around Sekhmet's hair. "I—I uhh… wake up early in the morning to take care of it. I usually mist the whole thing, then put leave-in conditioner before combing it out," she explained.
Shirogane stared at her, like she was waiting for her to continue. Sekhmet tilted her head sideways, confused on why she was looking at her like that. "That's it?" Shirogane asked in disbelief. "Yeah… That's it," Sekhmet replied, nodding her head. Shirogane looked at her in disbelief, "Impossible. Your hair looks like it jumped out of a game trailer, and you're telling me that's all you do? I have to fight tooth and nail just to get this style," she protests while pointing at her hair.
Sekhmet chuckled as the train slowed at a stop, pulling out her phone and queuing up a song. One she'd been playing on repeat for weeks. Shirogane leaned in immediately. "Wait, is that 'The Leviathan Trilogy'? I love this song!" She sat up and, without hesitation, started belting the first verse—completely off-key. Heads turned as their conversations were interrupted by the off-key singing. "W-wait, maybe not so loud—" Sekhmet tried to quiet her, flustered. But then the next verse came on and she couldn't help joining her. At first, it was instinct. She would just sing a few notes, but when the rhythm picked up, so did she.
One by one, the other cadets stopped. Even the loud ones. A few looked around, puzzled. Not knowing why they'd stopped their conversation. Sekhmet's voice rose, like she was back at home. Her singing brought the train car to life. Sekhmet sang like she meant every word. Every note had weight. By the next chorus, she wasn't holding back. She closed her eyes, head tilting slightly as her voice poured out with soul and fire. The cadets who had turned in confusion now watched in awe. Some smiled. Some froze. A few even whispered.
"She's… really good."
"Wait—who is she?"
"She's a foreigner, right? But that voice…"
Shirogane just stared at the singing Sekhmet with her eyes and mouth wide open as the final chord faded. "What?" Sekhmet asked, flushed from the sudden rush of joy. Shirogane looked at her astounded, "Bitch were you born on a stage? Cause that was insane. You got everyone's attention in this car," she pointed out. Sekhmet looked around and saw all the eyes on her.
Embarrassed, she covers her face with her scarf. "I wish I could disappear now," she whispered more to herself. As she said that, a loud -THUNK- was heard on top of the train car. A low, pulsing alarm kicked on. [EMERGENCY: MAG-RAIL 07. CARRIAGE LOCKDOWN IN EFFECT.]
Heavy metal panels slammed down over the windows. A quick hiss of compressed air sealed the doors shut. Some cadets screamed while another fell to the floor. A boy pounded against the locked door. "We're locked in." He announced. A long, dragging scrape echoed above. Like chalk being dragged across a board. Then a wet, distorted hiss reverberated through the vents. Something was breathing up there.
"It's on the roof, there's something on the roof!" Shirogane screamed, clutching onto Sekhmet. It moved again, its heavy thumping pacing back and forth. Like it was trying to decide which part of the roof to break through. "Hey Sin, I'm scared." She whispered as she looked at her. Shirogane froze. The face Sekhmet was giving the ceiling scared her even more. Like she knew exactly what was on the roof. "Hey Sin, you okay?" Shirogane asked shakily, poking her face.
Sekhmet snapped out of her trance and looked towards Shirogane, who seemed scared out of her mind. "Sorry, Shirogane… I spaced out for a second," She said it quietly, like she didn't want to admit she wasn't fine. A crackle was heard over the intercom.
"Cadets of the Crucible. This is Commander Hoshino. Remain calm. Your carriage is in lockdown as a safety precaution. A Spiral has been confirmed to be on your train car. Your seniors are en route to your position. Hold steady. You are not alone."
08:26 JST — Daelic Crucible Outskirts
At the main gates, a group of cadets scrambled to their cars. While others deployed their Drive and headed to other calls. One squad car darted between lanes, since the streets weren't clearing for them.
Nishiyama was hanging out the window, "Come on! Move out the way! We got a Spiral in the city. Miki! Punch it NOW!" She screamed out. Mitsuki was somehow holding her belt, keeping her from falling out of the speeding car while steering. He gritted his teeth as he shouted, "HEY ICHI! Get your ass back in the car! I can't do two things at once!"
She didn't listen
"Drive Form: Initiate"
Mitsuki's Drive formed on his left arm and he yanked Nishiyama back inside. She shot him a glare, arms crossed, facing away like a pouting child. "Yup. Classic. I try to keep you alive, and I somehow become the asshole," he muttered under his breath before he sped up. As they arrived a couple miles from the scene, they saw a black mass skitter across the roof of the train car. The Spiral was all limbs and eyes, carving deep gashes into the car's surface. The metal screamed as it dragged its claws down the side, like it was trying to peel the train open.
Nishiyama burst out of the vehicle while it was still moving. "Later Miki, can't let you get credit for the kill~!" She said joyfully as she ran towards the train car.
"Drive Form: Initiate!"
She grabbed the air, light appeared under her hand and out came her Katana. "Ah, ICHI! Oh my god…" Mitsuki sighed, annoyed at her actions. "I swear, this girl does not know when to just… calm down. Even during that mess in Minatoku last year. Same damn sprint, same damn grin—" he trailed off. He then grabs the radio in the car, "This is Tooru Mitsuki from Theta-4, I need an aerial fighter to support the running Ava Nishiyama." He requested.
A crackle came over the radio
"This is Koby from 1-1, I am en-route to Nishiyama-senpai's position."
"Roger that 1-1, I'll be getting ready for the killing blow," Mitsuki replied before putting the radio down and putting an earpiece in. As he steps out of the car, his gauntlet starts to glow.
"BOOST! Level 1 reached. Physical and Magical offenses and defenses enhanced by a multiple of 5," the glove relayed.
"Eh, I might need another one to catch up to her, she did run ahead before I stopped the car." Mitsuki whispered to himself.
"BOOST! Level 2 reached," the glove relayed.
He sets himself in a runner's starting position before chasing after Nishiyama. Once Koby flew over him and picked up Nishiyama, Mitsuki exhaled slowly. Then pushed off the earth like a spring loose from tension. The ground beneath him compressed and raised up. As he got closer, he vaulted over light posts and fire escapes, scaling the narrow buildings. "Why did I even decide to follow that girl?" He questioned as he slingshotted himself up a small building.
Static comes from the earpiece
"1-1 this is Silver Phoenix, what is your status?" A voice called out over the comms. Koby put his free hand on the earpiece, "This is 1-1, I have Mad Dog with me. We are at the affected train car, Handler Jinguji. The Spiral is still on top of it." Koby replied as he and Nishiyama landed on the train car. Their boots clanged against the reinforced metal. The car shuddered beneath them
"Roger that 1-1, what are the details of this Spiral?" Jinguji asked. Koby looked over to see Nishiyama already battling the Spiral. He blinked a couple of times, "I see why Tooru-senpai wants to retire now…" he whispered under his breath before pulling out his scanner.
SPIRALIZATION FACTOR: 4100DATABASE SIGNATURE MATCH: GRUNT
"Spiral scanned, it's a grunt." Koby announced over the comms. "A grunt? That makes no sense for one to be out here in the morning," Mitsuki replied over the radio. "You're right, Ddraig. Grunts usually show up at night—or deep in a Spiral nest," Jinguji added. That got Mitsuki to sigh dramatically. "Jin… how many times do I have to tell you not to call me Ddraig? Doesn't it say not to call me that on file?" He requested.
08:32 JST — Rooftop of Train Car 4 — MagLev Track 7
Metal screamed as claws raked across the train. Nishiyama slid low beneath a swinging limb, her katana flashing in the morning haze. "Oooooh, you're fast for a grunt~!" she grinned. "Let's see if you bleed pretty. 1-1, I need some cover fire!" Koby spread his wings, hidden under them were small compartments that concentrated his flux into beams of light. "On it Mad Dog!" He replied before blasting the Spiral with it.
-THOOM-
"Direct hit! A scout shouldn't be standing after that," Koby boasted. "Good job 1-1! We're about to get some money!" Nishiyama added. Nishiyama grinned—but something felt off. She hadn't even broken a sweat. No thrill, no pressure, no fun. She touched her earpiece, distracted by the hollowness of the fight.
"Silver Phoenix, the target is do—" before she could finish, the Spiral lunged out of the smoke, untouched. Koby reacted late, "Mad Dog, on your right!" Nishiyama looked to her right to see the Spiral inches from her body
-DINK-
Nishiyama fell backwards as Mitsuki's fist collided with the Spiral's faceplate, sending it skidding across the rooftop. "Ichi… what did I tell you about dropping your guard when you haven't seen the body for yourself?" He questioned her as he landed in front of her.
Koby looked at Mitsuki, then the roads below, then back at Mitsuki. "Wait—Tooru-senpai? How'd you even get up here that fast?" He asked, surprised that he got on top of the train without flying. Mitsuki pointed at the Drive on his left hand, "Thanks to the boosts from my Drive 'Boosted Gear', I was able to catch up." He answered.
"BOOST! Level 4 reached. Physical and Magical offenses and defenses enhanced by a multiple of 25," the glove relayed. Mitsuki looked at the Spiral he knocked back. He saw a small crack in its faceplate. He nervously smiled before talking in the earpiece, "Jinguji… we might need backup on standby. It tanked a Level 3 hit from me."
Silence
"That's a copy Tooru, request for backup has been approved and on standby. Command has also given this Spiral a danger rank of B. The three A-Ranked Cadets are ordered to eliminate the Spiral." Jinguji relayed. Mitsuki stuck his hand out to Nishiyama, "Come on Ichi, we got a job to do." She nodded and quietly took his hand before she retook her stance. The Spiral screeched at them, its many eyes locked on them as it started to charge at them.
Within the Train Car
The roof trembled again.
Sekhmet sat perfectly still, scarf still half-covering her face. She looked around her, some cadets were whispering to each other. Others whimpered, while the religious ones prayed for salvation. She looked toward Shirogane, who hadn't let go of her arm.
'Everyone in the car is scared… What could I do to ease the tension?' She thought. She wasn't calm herself, her heart pounded every time the roof groaned and she heard the muffled clanging above. She expected the roof to give way and the Spiral to kill them all. As she looked around, everyone else looked smaller than they had before. They were frightened, rightfully so since none of them had a means to kill or even injure a Spiral.
Without thinking, she started humming to calm her nerves. As she hummed, the whispers quieted. A cadet looked up towards her, then another. Eventually, she caught the attention of all the cadets. They didn't say anything, or try to stop her humming. To them, it felt like a warm hug from their mother. Soothing them in tough times.
As she started humming louder, she got more confident in herself. "Hey, she's singing the same song as earlier. Does anyone have a speaker?" someone whispered. A cadet raised their hand and gave the speaker to Shirogane, who stared at the speaker for a little bit before connecting it to her phone. She found the song and raised the volume to max. Sekhmet's voice started to sound fantasy-like behind the music. Meshing with the cyberpunk, electro like beat. Some cadets sat taller without realizing it.
"Why do I feel like... nothing bad can happen right now?"
"Is it just me or is it... warmer in here?"
As Sekhmet continued to sing, she started to glow a soft white. It was barely visible at first, but as she continued to sing, it slowly got brighter. The glow radiated gently, like moonlight shining in an open window. Cadets closest to her leaned in without realizing it. One of them reached out, fingertips grazing the edge of the glow. "It's like she's… pulling the fear out of the room," they whispered. Shirogane's jaw dropped.
"Sin… What the hell are you?"
On the roof of the Train Car
The clash froze, just for a second. Mitsuki, Nishiyama, and Koby stood across from the Spiral.
No one moved. Not them. Not the Spiral.
"...Did it stop?" Koby whispered. Mitsuki didn't answer right away. His eyes stayed locked on the Spiral's unmoving frame. "I don't know," he muttered. "There's no opening. It's… just waiting."
Then Nishiyama felt it.
A warmth, faint and strange, drifted across her skin. It was warm, like a distant voice caught on the wind. It curled into her being and soothed her nerves and got rid of her nervousness.
She was… Calm
Not the forced calm of adrenaline. Or something administered to her by force. It felt natural. She blinked. Her grip relaxed without meaning to. "…What was that?" she whispered.
The Spiral twitched. Its head jerked a couple times before it screeched. The stillness shattered as the metal buckled under its claws. It began tearing into the train roof again—this time focused, desperate. Whatever had quieted it, the Spiral wanted that presence gone. "Not today, you're not killing my juniors," She stated as she ran forward, one hand gripping her katana. It started to glow as she put up a two finger sign in front of her.
"Sound Magic: Sonic Reverb!"
A compressed wave of sound enveloped her blade, making it a sonic blade. "Ichi, wai—!" Mitsuki started, but she was already moving. He put his hands in his hair and started ruffling it in frustration, "Ahhh! This girl is gonna give me gray hairs." Koby sighed, seeing the reasons why command never assigned more people to Theta-4. Mitsuki wants to stop fighting Spirals and live an easy life, while Nishiyama wants to fight the Spirals with her life on the line.
Koby opened his wings and provided covering fire for her. "Mad Dog, I got your back!" he called out while Mitsuki stopped ruffling his head and clutched his left fist.
"BOOST! Level 7 reached," the glove relayed. He reset his footing and rushed forward, covering Nishiyama's blind spot. He hit the Spiral in the same spot from earlier, making the small crack in its armour larger and visible. The Spiral cried out in pain as it slid back from the impact. A slight crackle from everyone's earpiece. "Silver Phoenix to interim squad Alpha," Jinguji's voice came through. "During that downtime where the Spiral did not attack, all of your Sync rates spiked 500% for a couple seconds. What the hell is happening over there?"
Mitsuki ducked beneath a retaliatory swipe. "500%? That's—no. That's not possible. The most anyone's ever boosted Sync rate with magic is ten percent. Tops. And that's enough to drop a B-Class." Another strike came close. He swore. "Unless… no, that thing wasn't frozen. It was focused." A cold thought wormed its way in. "You think it's targeting a cadet?"
Koby shot another volley of concentrated light magic at the Spiral's joints. Chitin shattered, forcing the creature to stumble. "That doesn't make sense!" Koby barked. "Spirals don't think like that. Hive logic, sure—but individuals? Even an adaptive grunt shouldn't be smart enough to single out a target!" The Spiral hissed and lunged again.
Without hesitation, Koby grabbed Nishiyama's free hand. "Mad Dog—air!" He hurled her skyward. She twisted mid-flight, flipping into a clean arc as her katana caught the light. "Time to take a nap, Haise." She calmly said as she plunged the katana deep into the cracked plate.A low-frequency thrumm followed as vibrations tore through the Spiral's body. It convulsed, spasming violently before falling still.
Nishiyama dismissed her Drive, exhaling as the katana vanished in a shimmer of light. She pressed two fingers to her earpiece. "Mad Dog to Silver Phoenix, the Spiral is dead. No penetration to the train car, but it has sustained heavy damages. "Requesting med teams and retrieval units to assist with cadet extraction."
Jinguji's voice crackled in.
"Copy that, Mad Dog. Teams are inbound. And… good work Alpha team." Koby landed and took a deep breath, his wings collapsed behind him. "...Anyone else feel that shift?" he asked, glancing at Mitsuki. Mitsuki nodded slowly, eyes narrowing at the roof. "Yeah. Right before the Spiral lost its mind, something changed in the air. Like…" he paused. "Like it got a command from the Hive." A faint sound drifted up through the still-settling dust.
A voice.
Soft. Melodic. Drifting faintly from the damaged train car below. Koby turned his head toward the sound, his expression softening without realizing it. His wings flexed, almost like they were reacting too. He leaned slightly forward, listening. "That's coming from inside."
Click.
He turned.
Nishiyama was holding up her phone, grinning ear to ear. Mitsuki had his out too, recording. "Aw, look at him," she teased. "Caught you zoning out like a main character." Koby blinked. "Wait—what? I was just—!" Mitsuki snorted, "No no, don't stop. You looked like you were about to confess your heart to the wind."
"Should've had sparkles around you," Nishiyama added. Koby sighed, wings disappearing. "I hate you both,"he muttered, voice muffled by his hands dragging down his face. Nishiyama chuckled. "You say that, but you looked moved, 1-1."
"Shut up," he groaned. Mitsuki lowered his phone, smile fading as his gaze drifted toward the battered train car. "Jinguji," he said into his earpiece, tone sobering. "The Spiral's gone. But the cadets inside… they've been stuck in there, terrified. Requesting override authorization. Open the lockdown on Car 4."
"Copy that. Releasing locks now. Be ready to assist. Some of them may be in shock," Jinguji replied. With a heavy clunk and a hiss of decompression, the rooftop trembled once more. This time not from claws, but the internal security mechanisms unlocking. Metal shutters retracted. The emergency seals hissed open. Mitsuki stepped toward the edge. "Let's go calm 'em down," he muttered. Nishiyama tapped her earpiece. "Hope they don't think we're the Spirals now."
Within the Train Car
A faint chime sounded overhead. Then:
–LOCKDOWN OVERRIDE GRANTED–
The doors slid open with a sharp hiss, morning light flooding into the cabin. Sekhmet immediately stopped singing, the glow around her subsided as she snapped back into reality. Around her, the cadets reeled, shielding their eyes from the light. Some didn't move at all, still caught between fear and awe. "Is it over?" Shirogane asked, fixing her sitting position and breathing easy. The train's internal transfer door slid open. Three figures stepped in, each wearing Crucible jackets.
The girl in front strode in like a hero on a stage, hands on her hips. "No need to fear my juniors, I Nishiyama Ava have slayed the Spiral. You are all safe now!"
She blinked.
No screams. No gasps. Just… silence. Wide eyes and confused blinking. The boy with the hanafuda earring standing just behind her, covered his mouth to stifle a laugh. The taller boy ruffled the hair of the girl, "Hey Ichi, it looks like they weren't that scared." Nishiyama snapped her gaze at the boy with the hanafuda earring, "Shut up Koby! I can hear you laughing," she snapped, raising her fist. Koby held up both hands, backpedaling. "Wait, Nishiyama-senpai, don't hit me! I give, I give!" He turned to the taller one. "Mitsuki-senpai—help me out here!" he pleaded through his laughter.
As the three seniors bickered in the aisle, Shirogane leaned toward Sekhmet, "Hey, Sin… are those our seniors?" she whispered, fingers nervously tugging at Sekhmet's scarf. Sekhmet gently caught her hand to stop her. "I… think so, Shirogane." she replied, unsure of her answer. A brief hush passed over the cabin—until one of the girls near the rear suddenly gasped and stood up.
"W-Wait! That's Mitsuki Tooru, right? The Boosted Gear user from Theta-4? He's, like, top five in all of Crucible!" Whispers surged through the cabin.
"No way, seriously?"
"I saw his fight clip on the student net!"
"Is that really him?"
Mitsuki groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Here we go…" Nishiyama beamed like she'd just been announced as royalty. "Yup! And that's me next to him—Nishiyama Ava, Spiral-slaying extraordinaire! And the other half of the Theta-4 team!" Koby quietly muttered, "I'm here too, y'know…" Then another cadet gasped, pointing past her. "Wait… isn't that the angel guy with the wings? That's Kirishima Koby, right?"
"Oh my god, he's real?"
"I thought he was just a myth from the last Spiral broadcast!"
Koby blinked, genuinely surprised. "Wait… me?" Nishiyama stared at the crowd, then at Koby. Her eye twitched. "Are you kidding me right now?" Before the cadets could crowd the trio, a low-pitched tone sounded from the platform—followed by synchronized footsteps. The main doors slid open and a team of Crucible personnel entered: two medics, a retrieval team, and a woman in a long coat bearing the silver phoenix crest. The medics immediately began checking the students. One officer barked instructions. "If you are uninjured, remain seated. Any cadets showing signs of shock—point them out."